John d



(No Model.) r

J. D. GRIFFE'N.

SHOE LACE FASTENER- No. 497,094. PatentedMay 9,1 93.

INVENTOR: M 24% S E S s M H W A TTOHNE) Tu: NORRIS vncns ca PHOTO LITHD ,WASHINGTON, D. q.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. GRIFFEN, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHOE-LACE FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 497,094, dated May 9, 1893.

Application filed May 31 1892. Serial No. 434,886. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. GRIFFEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fasteners for Lacing-Strings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to produce a fastener for lacing strings which shall be 1 adapted for general use as upon shoes, gloves,

corsets, &c., but which shall be especially adapted for use as a fastener for shoe laces; my novel fastener being simple and inexpensive to produce, easily attached in place and practically impossible to break or get out of order; a single movement only being required either in securing or detaching the lace, and either textile, or leather, or fiat or round laces being held with perfect security.

In order to provide a fastener of this class which will fully meet the requirements of the trade I have devised the novel construction which I will now describe, referring by numbers to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification in which,

Figure 1 is an elevation of a shoe showing my novel fastener in use, and Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are respectively a plan view, a rear elevation, and a side elevation of my novel fastener detached. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of my improved fastener.

Mynovel fastener consists of a singlesheet of metal which is blanked out "from a suitable strip and then doubled over upon itself, the complete fastener consisting of a lower plate 1 and upper plate 2, and a neck 3 by which the upper and lower plates are connected. Plate 1 is provided with holes 4 by which it is attached in place, the preferable method of attachment being by means of eyelets 5, as indicated in Fig. 1.

6 denotes a central groove or depression in the lower plate. 1 The upper plate is provided with a central groove or depression 7 corresponding therewith and with lateral wings 8 which are also provided with depressions 9. The lateral wings 8 project beyond or overhang the forward portion of the plate 1 having the depression 6, which forward portion of said plate 1 is made narrow, as more clearly shown in Fig. 5. over plate 1 as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and at, said plates lying just far enough apart to permit the lace to be drawn into the fastener and to lock it securely in place when once drawn in.

The operation will be clearly understood from the figures of the drawings. The fastener is attached to the shoe with the neck toward the front of the vamp the space between the plates opening toward the rear. The end of the lace is first drawn in under one of the depressions 9, 2'. e., between the depression and the neck, the lace being in effect crimped by the depression. is then passed under depression 7, it being in effect pressed into depression 6 by depression 7 which forms the second crimp in the lace which is then turned toward the front again and passed under the other depression 9,11. 6., between said depression and the neck, this depression makingin effectathird crimp in the lace.

into the fastener and the end turned toward the front again, the portion of the lace within the fastener having three crimps or bends imparted to it. This operation is facilitated by reason of the fact that the depressions 9 are formed in the wings S which overhang or project laterally beyond the forward portion of the lower plate so that the lacing string may be readily drawn beneath the said depressions 9. I find in practice that either a flat, or round, or a leather or textile lace is held at all times against backward movement until the free end of the lace is taken hold of by the operator and swung around backward and then toward the front again, the reverse of the movement when inserting it into the fastener.

Having thus described my invention, I

Plate 2 is turned backward The lace It will thus'be seen that by a single quick movement of the lace itis drawn ing plate by a neck 3 and provided with a In testimony whereoflafiix mysignature in depression 7 registering with depression 6, presence of two Witnesses. said upper plate having also Wings 8 overhanging or projecting laterally beyond the JOHN D. GRIFFEN. said narrow portion of plate 1 and said Wings Witnesses:

being each provided with a depression 9, sub- THOMAS COOPER BYRNEs, stantially as described. GUSTAVUS W. RAWsoN. 

